ESPN College Football

Today concludes "Coaches you love to hate" week at ESPN.com, and we'll conclude it with your take. Who gets your blood boiling?

Here's what you wrote.

Matt in Wrightsville, N.C., wrote: Rich Rod. It pains me to go into detail: WVU had the best team in 2008 and lost in a game that WVU fans shall not speak of. This team was roughly 30 point underdogs and Rich Rod didn't prep for this game because his head was in Michigan as he already made up his mind (he already contacted a real estate agent in Ann Arbor obviously without anyone knowing at WVU). Loyalty is something WV residents hold higher than most and Rich Rod proclamed his loyality for his alma mater earlier in the year because he was a Mountaineer "For a long, long time". WVU probably would have won the national championship as they destroyed a heavily favored, and #3, Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl behind the late Bill Stewart... Ohh yeah after his departure WVU immeditely dropped out of the Julio Jones and Terrelle Pryor recruiting picture (On the bright side we got Gino Smith).

Brad in Manhattan, Kan., asked: I know he is no longer in our conference but I can not stand Bo Pelini. His arrogant persona and his on and off the field tirades drive me insane. I love watching him lose and will forever cheer against him and any time he is affiliated with. The fit he threw at Snyder after the pounding K state gave Nebraska definitely does not help one bit. Especially considering he has done the same thing to other teams that he was complaining about. The guy is a clown

Joey Machak in Herndon, Va., asked: Once a Mountaineer, always a Mountaineer.... except you Rodriguez.

Sayres in Hershey, Pa., wrote: I hate Rich Rod. He ruined my 20th birthday on December 1, 2007. It should have been the happiest day of my Mountaineer life, but as we all know it didn't quite turn out that way. All we had to do was beat Pitt... PITT!!!

Steve in Phoenix, Ariz., wrote: My blood boils when I see Bob Stoops get that cry baby look on his face when a call goes against him. This is especially true when the replay shows an obvious Oklahoma penalty. He looks as if he is going to cry and starts yelling at the referee as if it's possible that his "super star" loaded team could never do anything wrong. Truth be told, he kicks the snot out of K-state every year and it's frustrating but he looks like a two year old. His brother does the same thing. It will be double cry baby faces this year in the big 12.

Lucien in Omaha, Neb., wrote: I hope that ISU can win a Big 12 championship if only to beat Gene Chizik in the new Champions Bowl. Anyone who says one day that they are fully entrenched in Ames then three days later bolts for "greener pastures" has no integrity.

Aaron in Owasso, Okla., wrote: How can anyone say Bob Stoops get their bloodboiling??? Stoops has consistantly been a great role model, he always puts family first and never puts up with players crap. He's not afraid to make tough decistion i.e. Rhett Bomar. Bob Stoops changed a culture of poor character coaches like Switzer to a stand up program.

Jordan in Chanute, Kan., wrote: Charlie Weiss... This guy thinks (or has implied) that he will beat K-State this year... Really? He can consider it a blessing if the Cats and Snyder dont embarrass him with another 38 or 52 point drubbing. With the game at Snyder Stadium I predict 59-3, I'll give there kicker a little credit

Jerry in Ames, Iowa, wrote: Snyder. I respect the crap out of him for how well he can coach and teaching fundamentals and taking ksu to levels that no one thought was possible, but when he makes comments about how theyre in the big 12 and should get all nonconference games at home or how he wanted farmageddon to stay in kansas city every other year rotating between manhattan and arrowhead i started hating him

Richard in Orlando, Fla., wrote: Tommy Tuberville...the defensive genius who has had 2 top 25 recruiting classes makes my blood boil. Most will say he fought injuries. I will say Tuberville lost the top strength and conditioning coach in all of college football in Bennie Wylie who could have prevented some of these injuries. Couple that with the 4th defensive coordinator in his short tenure and I will present you a coach who just doesn't have it anymore.

Hunter in Waco, Texas, wrote: GUY MORRIS. His best player during his tenure was probably Daniel Sepulveda...a punter. Thank the Lord things have changed.

PDXKSUFAN in Portland, Ore., wrote: Coach I hated: Remember when Rick Neuheisel roamed the Big 8/12 sidelines? He was a coach that everyone loved to hate. His sweater-vests, his smug grin, his deadly recruiting, his cocky attitude, sarcastic wit, and his winning teams (at first anyway). He is the only coach that I remember LOVING to beat.

Thanks for all your mail this week. Here's where you can reach me if you've got more to say. On to your emails!

Justin in Austin, Texas, wrote: I'm sure I am not alone in disagreeing with your OOC Rankings by team (aside from OU, no team with an FCS opponent should be above those without one), but you are certainly right in the idea that this year's OOC schedule as a whole is pretty weak. With that said, what do you think the overall record will be for the Big 12? Care to take the time and break down what you think are the most likely losses?

David Ubben: Yeah, I see your point, but I don't think you can simply move a team below because it's playing an FCS team. You've got to take into account the top games on the schedule, too. The Big 12 went 33-5 in nonconference games last year, and very well could improve on that in 2012. Missouri and Texas A&M suffered two of those five losses last year, to Arizona State and Arkansas. To the second part of your question, here are the five games the league's most likely to lose in 2012:

• 1. Kansas at Northern Illinois: KU will still be finding its footing, and Northern Illinois' stabilized a solid program. On the road, too? KU needed some late-game heroics to win this one in 2011, but don't be surprised if the Jayhawks are an underdog.
• 2. Iowa State at Iowa: The Cyclones sprung a triple-overtime upset to give Paul Rhoads his first win over the Hawkeyes, but ISU hasn't won in Iowa City since 2002. At least ISU gets to keep the one-year redone version of the Cy-Hawk trophy either way.
• 3. Oklahoma State at Arizona: OSU will be finding itself on offense, too, and ask Missouri how early season trips out west go, even for good teams. Has Wes Lunt ever seen a 3-3-5? Better study up.
• 4. Miami at Kansas State: Miami is still growing under Al Golden, but the Hurricanes will be good enough to win this one. If they do, it'll be the first sign that the 2011 surprise was a whole lot of fool's gold.
• 5. TCU at SMU: SMU loses J.J. McDermott, who beat TCU in Fort Worth in overtime last year in a game SMU dominated. Ever heard of Garrett Gilbert? He might be the guy lining up across the Frogs this year.

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DoDoDo the Gundy in Tulsa wrote: I am the biggest Cowboy fan on your wonderful Blog, but I got into an OU argument with a guy at the bar last night. He said Mack Brown was a better coach than Bob Stoops because of recruiting. Again, don't know why I keep sticking up for OU, but you have to give credit where it is due. So, I told him he was crazy. What do you think David?

DU: Yeah, no question about it. Bob Stoops is unquestionably a better coach than Mack Brown. There's no question that Texas and Oklahoma have been the two best programs in the history of the Big 12, but Oklahoma's the school with seven Big 12 titles to Texas' two. Granted, Texas played for a national title in both of those seasons (2005, 2009), but Oklahoma's played for a national title four times since 2000.

Recruiting is also easier for Texas. That's not to say it's difficult for OU, but more kids from Texas grow up wanting to be Longhorns than Sooners. Such is life as the flagship of a state like Texas.

Brown's streak of 10-win seasons is remarkable, but you can't discount the program's recent fall, either. To me, there's no debate. Stoops tops Brown.

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Pablo in Lubbock, Texas, wrote: Still hating on TTU..... Thus you only post in big print negative stuff most of the time.Yet TTU had a major media day with 3 recruits. Stormy Butler and Darren Dotson scholarship guys along with believe it or not Tuby's son as a preferred walkon

DU: Yes, I'm positively brutal to the Red Raiders. Outside of links, you won't find much coverage of commitments on the Big 12 blog. There's simply too many to warrant a post for every one. If it's one of the nation's top recruits or an interesting situation, I'll post about it, but other than that, you won't see many commitments get a full post on the blog.

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Klocke in Athens, Ga., wrote: What is more likely? FSU/Clemson are actually considering joining the Big 12 OR that over the past two years, sports writers have become addicted to filling summer columns with realignment speculation? I don't even remember what you guys used to write about in the offseason before the past two summers, but now I read everyday. Well played, hype-machine.

DU: Ha, well, in our defense, Klocke, it's been a lot more than talk these past two years. The Big 12 lost two teams in 2010 and two more in 2011 before adding TCU and West Virginia. It'd be one thing if nothing ever happened, but these reports are a lot more than media rumormongering.

So, the chances of us filing summer columns without realignment speculation is pretty much nil. Florida State is still a possibility for the Big 12, though the two sides still have reportedly not discussed a partnership.

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Matt Rob in Pittsburgh wrote: David; Holy moly, I just read your post on Big 12 nonconference schedules. Quite a list of cupcakes and guaranteed wins.As a WVU fan, I thought this year's nonconf sched was weak (especially compared to last year's), but good gravy, it's like a murderer's row compared to most teams. Although, true be told, the conference schedule will be absolutely brutal, so maybe it is for the best.

DU: Yeah, it's a delicate balance. I think some schools definitely took a second look at how they scheduled once the Big 12 added a ninth conference game. There's no question that West Virginia is in that group. If the Big 12 had eight games or WVU is still in the Big East, the Mountaineers are probably still playing Florida State. They already went out and suited up against LSU last season. They're not shy.

With that ninth game, though, I think you're going to see more Big 12 teams back off scheduling tough games out of conference. That's especially true among teams who aren't exactly guaranteed a bowl game every year. For schools like Texas and Oklahoma and West Virginia, too, they need those strong out of conference games to state their case at the end of the season. But for others who won't be making cases for a BCS playoff? Where's the payoff?

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Holland Humphrey in Kansas City, Mo., wrote: Ubbs: Were you really born in 1957? In your blog about FSU (and if they match-up in the big 12) you say FSU last played TCU in 1965 and you were 8 years old. Surely you are joking because you look about 30 to me.

DU: Oh, readers. The number of emails I got with a similar sentiment made me very sad. I hoped we'd understood each other's senses of humor better by now.

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Carson in Fort Worth, Texas, wrote: Hey David, TCU fan here. I've been reading about how you think the players in the DFW metroplex could put TCU on par with some of the league powers, and I've got to agree with all that you have said. My question is, how long do you think it takes TCU to start pulling in the majority of top talent from DFW, and how long will it be before the Frogs win their first conference championship in the Big 12?

DU: Glad you feel that way, Carson. I also feel like you feel a certain fondness for purple, as well. It all comes down to if TCU can win consistently in the Big 12. Not necessarily win big, but win like Oklahoma State did before last year. Nine wins or so consistently. That's going to offer some feeling to recruits that they can be the guys who put TCU over the top. I'd expect the Frogs to win a Big 12 title within the next five years.

New Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby doesn't want to see any future expansion in college athletics, but recent events have given him no choice but to put the issue on the Big 12's agenda, as it is on other conferences'.

My opinion," he told USA Today on Tuesday, "is college athletics would be well served by some period of smooth water and not all of the angst and disorganization that goes with moves from one league to another."

We've heard that from the Big 12. Florida State is forcing Bowlsby's hand, though he wouldn't mention the school by name.

"I think the topic of expansion will be on every agenda going forward. But it's on every other conference's agenda going forward, too," Bowlsby told the paper.

Over the weekend, Florida State's chairman of its board of trustees opened up a big ol' can of realignment worms, however, when he offered credence to a long-held rumor rumbling around college sports. Could Florida State leave for the Big 12?

"On behalf of the Board of Trustees I can say that unanimously we would be in favor of seeing what the Big 12 might have to offer. We have to do what is in Florida State's best interest," Andy Haggard told Warchant.com.

So, here we are. After two years of attrition and a role as the hunted, the Big 12 is doing some hunting of its own? Or is it? The league just added TCU and West Virginia for 2012 after Texas A&M and Missouri bolted for the SEC, leaving the Big 12 with eight members. That move was a year after Nebraska and Colorado left the Big 12 for the Big Ten and Pac-12, respectively, costing the conference its namesake. Could Florida State move the Big 12 one step closer to a return to 12 members?

Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds tamped down some of the discussion, telling the Austin American-Statesman that there was "no traction" to the reports.

He did not add a "yet" on the end of that sentence, but more than a few assumed that was the case. How could the Big 12 and Florida State at least not sit down at a table for an exchange of ideas?

Where does the Big 12 stand right now? Bowlsby's not showing his hand.

"It's all about driving value for the member institutions," Bowlsby said. "There is a case to be made for optimal value being driven by the status quo, and there is a case to be made for some form of expansion. And I'm not prejudging or adopting either side of that right now."

He is, however, discussing it. And while that happens, there won't be many calm waters in college football.

Talk about Florida State and the Big 12 has mostly been an unsubstantiated rumor for months, and several sources fueled local media reports that the league hadn't even considered the Seminoles as a possible future member.

However, in wake of the ACC's new media deal with ABC/ESPN which is expected to fetch less than the Big 12's new pending deal, Florida State is making itself very hard for the Big 12 to ignore.

"On behalf of the Board of Trustees I can say that unanimously we would be in favor of seeing what the Big 12 might have to offer. We have to do what is in Florida State's best interest," Florida State Board of Trustees chairman Andy Haggard told Warchant.com.

Haggard was disappointed the conference controlled third-tier TV rights for football, but universities held them for basketball. It's more evidence, Haggard said, of the conference favoring the North Carolina-based basketball schools like North Carolina and Duke. However, an ACC spokesman said ESPN controlled the rights for both football and basketball, and that Haggard was mistaken.

As for the academic side of the debate, Haggard says leaving the ACC, a conference much stronger academically than the Big 12, wouldn't be a big factor.

"No FSU graduate puts on his résumé or interviews for a job saying they are in the same conference as Duke and Virginia," he said. "Conference affiliation really has no impact on academics."

So what's it all mean?

Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher told the Orlando Sentinel he's open to a conference move.

"There have been no official talks, but I think you always have to look out there to see what's best for Florida State," Fisher said. "If that [jumping to the Big 12] is what's best for Florida State, then that's what we need to do."

Writes the Sentinel's Mike Bianchi:

Late Saturday, though, FSU president Dr. Eric Barron issued a statement in regard to the uproar that was fueled by discussion of the ACC's new TV contract:

"Florida State University regrets that misinformation about the provisions of the ACC contract has unnecessarily renewed the controversy and speculation about University's athletic conference alignment. Florida State respects the views of the Chair of its Board of Trustees that, of course, any university would examine options that would impact university academics, athletics or finances. At the same time, Florida State is not seeking an alternative to the ACC nor are we considering alternatives. Our current commitments remain strong."

Still, if we've learned anything in recent years about institutions of higher earning switching conferences, it is this: Without fail, they all say they are steadfastly committed to their current league only until another league offers them more money.

The Kansas City Star's Blair Kerkhoff says the Big 12 should prick its ears up and pay attention to the restless comments wafting into Big 12 country from Tallahassee.

Even if Haggard’s anger is based on a false notion, Florida State to the Big 12 was being rumored before the latest public comments, largely the stuff of message board speculation.

A source close to the conference told The Star this week that no realignment conversations had taken place between the Big 12 and any other school since the introduction of Bob Bowlsby as commissioner last week.

But the Big 12’s expansion committee, made up of athletic directors and presidents, has not been disbanded.

The rumor is still in its beginning stages, and Florida State's football program has been down since playing in BCS games six times between 1998 and 2005.

Still, the Seminoles are a commanding national brand in the game, and the Big 12 would be silly if it didn't at least offer serious attention to the situation from the South.

Louisville's been assumed as the school at the top of the Big 12's expansion list if it moved beyond a 10-team league. If Florida State's rumblings become serious, that would have to change.

Thanks for all the e-mails this week. Here's where you can reach me.

On to your letters!

Jeff in Ames, Iowa asked: With the Big East now being leaderless, do you see the Big 12 accelerating any potential plans to raid the conference for Louisville or possibly Cincinnati?

David Ubben: On the surface, it seems like a decent idea, but I don't think anyone in the Big 12 is real keen on doing anything quickly. For one, the conference needs to get its new commissioner in and get settled. For two, it needs to wait and see what the new playoff system is going to look like. I'd be absolutely shocked if we saw any momentum toward expansion grow before that was settled.

That said, Louisville still seems like the school at the top of the Big 12's list. The Florida State and Clemson rumors picked up steam this week, and obviously, I'd expect the Big 12 to at least explore the idea. Geographically, Louisville makes more sense, but Florida State would bring a lot more and be a whole lot more fun, replacing some of the tradition that Nebraska's exit drained out of the league.

So, to your question: No. The Big 12's got a lot of other factors to consider, and the Big East is a mess. A new commissioner won't change that, especially when reports are leaking out of Louisville that the Cardinals want to leave the league. If the Big 12 calls, Louisville is coming. No doubt, regardless of timing.

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Casareal in Roanoke, Texas asked: David, I think you are getting a little "Metroplex-centric" in your analysis of TCU over WVU. TCU has recruited the Dallas/Ft Worth area for a hundred years and have never been as successful as you seem to be expecting. Historically, TCU had the greatest success when recruiting west Texas but with the addition of TTU to the old SWC, that well dried up. I expect TCU to have marginal success but will never do better than they historically have.WVU, on the other hand, is still "The University of..." and kids still relate to that and Texas recruiting is going to pick up for them. I fully expect WVU to yearly contest with OU and Texas for the league title. Oh, some others, like OSU this past year, will win it all on occasion, but over the long haul, it will come down to OU, UT and WVU on a consistent basis.

DU: Totally disagree with you, Casareal. Right now, everything is in place for TCU for it to see a huge boom in recruiting in the metroplex. It's winning, and winning big. It has an established coach who's got an absurd amount of respect from around the nation, and especially in Texas. It has a program in place that's built for long-term success.

Now, it takes those things into a major conference that it couldn't be a better geographic fit for? Have the stars ever aligned for TCU like this? No way.

Big things ahead for the Froggies. I maintain it's still possible for them to recruit at something close to the level of Texas and Oklahoma if TCU proves it can win at the major conference level. By win, I mean, be a factor in the Big 12 title race and win 10 games once or twice in its first few years in the league.

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Keith from Atop the Mountain writes: David, the euphoria has started to wane and the sweet scent of oranges is fading away, and it got me to thinking. Besides the Fiesta and Cotton bowls, what are the Big 12 Bowl affiliations. I am looking forward to new places to vacate to around the holidays.

DU: I got you and the rest of your Mountaineer brethren covered on this one, Keith. You'll get to know it well once we start doing weekly bowl projections every week in the fall, but here's how the order bowls will pick Big 12 teams for the 2012 season.

• 1. Tostitos Fiesta Bowl -- Glendale, Ariz.
• 2. AT&T Cotton Bowl -- Arlington, Texas
• 3. Valero Alamo Bowl -- San Antonio, Texas
• 4. Insight Bowl -- Tempe, Ariz.
• 5. Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl -- San Diego, Calif.
• 6. Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas -- Houston, Texas
• 7. New Era Pinstripe Bowl -- New York City

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Cowboy-KS in Kansas wrote: Ubbs, What with the recent suspensions of the Sooners starting receiving corp, I posit you with this. Sooners are currently recruiting from for major pools getting roughly 25% of their players from each of OK+midwest (KS, IL, etc), TX, California, and Florida. Having grown up in Native America, me thinks that there will be some significant cultural tension on the campus in Norman with this mix. The OK Midwest TX kids likely come from similar backgrounds. The kids from California and Florida went to high school in a different world, and they combined make up ~50% of the class. Not that one group or another is better/worse, but do you see this as a major impediment to Stoops building a tight team bond? Do you see tension within the team as an ongoing concern for the Sooners?

DU: I don't think so. I'd say you're reaching with a bit of a specious argument, Cowboy. On paper, it sort of makes sense, but I think you're generalizing a little too much. On any team, you're going to have guys with varied backgrounds, regardless of where they're from. It may help a bit if they know each other from high school, but lots of guys get time together through the recruiting process and get to know each other before they go to college.

As for the transfers and trouble on the Sooners, you could attribute that to a lot of things. The leadership on OU left a little bit to be desired last year, and the coaching turnover helped hasten a few guys' exits. Beyond that, sometimes college kids are just not very great decision-makers.

No matter how much you run or suspend some players, they'll continue to not make the right decisions.

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Zak in Osaka, Japan wrote: So after seeing those "GameDay" commercial vote totals could you tell me again which two fan bases are going to be an upgrade over A&M and Nebraska? Still love the blog though, keep up the good work.

DU: Hey, I've said it all along. There's no replacing those fan bases. There's no replacing Nebraska's tradition either, but Florida State might help.

What isn't so hard to replace? Texas A&M and Mizzou's results on the field.

College Football Live has unveiled its preseason top 25 poll, as voted on by a panel of ESPN analysts, writers and personalities.

I cast my ballot in the poll, and here's what it looked like. Here's the official poll. I should note, ballots were due before the Bobby Petrino scandal at Arkansas and before I made my spring practice rounds. I'd probably move WVU up a few spots, keep K-State where it is and move Arkansas down about 5-7 spots.

And here's how I voted. (actual ESPN poll ranking in parentheses).

1. USC (1)
2. Alabama (3)
3. LSU (2)
4. Oregon (4)
5. Georgia (6)
6. Oklahoma (5)
7. Arkansas (9)
8. Florida State (7)
9. Michigan State (12)
10. Kansas State (13)
11. West Virginia (11)
12. South Carolina (8)
13. Michigan (10)
14. TCU (14)
15. Stanford (15)
16. Oklahoma State (21)
17. Nebraska (17)
18. Wisconsin (16)
19. Ohio State (20)
20. Boise State (23)
21. Texas (22)
22. Clemson (18)
23. Notre Dame (24)
24. Louisville (NR)
25. Florida (25)

What's your ballot look like?

Did Iowa State usher in college football's latest seismic change?

The Cyclones weren't the only factor, but they were no doubt a huge one. ISU upset Oklahoma State in a memorable Friday nighter, eventually leading to a snoozer of a title game between two identical SEC teams that had already played earlier in the season.

Now, a four-team playoff is inching closer and closer to imminence. The details between now and then, though? Anything can happen.

BCS guru Brad Edwards broke down some of the biggest questions , like how teams would be selected and when the games would be played.

The Who and What may be good enough for many fans, but the road to this four-team playoff is filled with potholes for those left to negotiate the Where, When and How. Examining these questions and their possible answers shows just how much work still lies ahead for those charged with taking this playoff concept and turning it into a product that will be embraced by players, coaches, university presidents, fans and, perhaps most importantly, a TV network that will write a check big enough to make this overhaul worthwhile.

But what about perhaps the biggest question: Where will the games be played? The debate between on-campus games, neutral sites and folding in the bowls is already raging, and Edwards takes a look at all three. You'll need ESPN Insider to see it all, but you don't need it to let your voice be heard.

What do you want to see games in a four-team playoff played?

The Big 12's already found its way into the debate when BCS director Bill Hancock used Kansas State as an example of how playing big-time games on campuses could prove problematic.

"Can Manhattan, Kan., take care of 1,200 media? Where will people stay?" he said.

The hotel question is a little silly. People would just stay in nearby towns. For Manhattan, that means Kansas City or Topeka.

But during the game? Seating in the press box at Bill Snyder Family Stadium is like most college stadiums. Woefully unprepared for the crush of a BCS game. Why? Well, because BCS games have never been played on campuses before. Postgame conferences could be a problem, too. Few schools have the facilities to host that many people in one place.

Media complaining about facilities won't draw much sympathy, but for big bowls, it's obviously something to consider. There's no easy fix there.

The atmosphere would be amazing, but for national semifinals, it's hard to imagine the atmosphere not being just as good at a neutral site.

But where do you stand on the issue?

Vote in the poll.

The Big 12 is closing in on its permanent replacement for former commissioner Dan Beebe.

The conference has offered its commissioner's job to Stanford athletic director Bob Bowlsby, multiple conference and industry sources told ESPN.com Wednesday night. Bowlsby is expected to accept the offer, sources said.

Bowlsby was in Phoenix the past few days as the Big 12 and Pac 12 meetings overlapped. Bowlsby has a strong relationship with Pac 12 commissioner Larry Scott. Bowlsby was on the search committee that discovered Scott, with the aid of search firm executive Jed Hughes who has handled both searches for the Big 12 and Pac 12 commissioner's jobs. Hughes was at a different firm for the Pac 12 search firm than he is for the Big 12 search.

Bowlsby has been highly respected by his Pac 12 colleagues, and sources said he had a strong endorsement from Scott.

The Big 12 fired Dan Beebe as its commissioner last fall and replaced him with temporary replacement Chuck Neinas. He helped guide the Big 12 through the loss of Missouri and Texas A&M, as well as inviting TCU and West Virginia to join and give the league 10 members.

Bowlsby was Iowa's athletic director from 1991-2006 before taking over at Stanford.

For more on the story from Andy Katz, go here.

After a brief hiatus, it's back.

Want the "ESPN College GameDay" crew comin' to your city to film a commercial?

Vote.

You'll need to log in to Facebook to cast your vote, but the school with the most votes will host Chris, Desmond, Kirk and Erin to shoot the next "GameDay" commercial that will air throughout the next year.

Very cool contest. Voting ends at midnight on May 10, and you can vote once a day until then.

If Football Bowl Subdivision conference commissioners and the sport's other power brokers approve a four-team playoff to determine college football's national champion, the semifinals and the national championship game will be played at neutral sites and the BCS bowl games will be played closer to New Year's Day, a source familiar with the negotiations told ESPN.com on Tuesday.

Commissioners of the 11 FBS conferences, Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick and other network TV and college football officials are meeting in Hollywood, Fla., this week to discuss the future of the BCS.

See more on this story here.

Hey, everybody. Let's get back on the chat circuit.

I'll take your questions today, beginning at 3 p.m. ET.

Here's the link.

Drop your questions off before we start, keep them coming once we start, and I'll see you there.

Justin Blackmon should hear his name called pretty early in the NFL Draft's first round on Thursday night, but you can get some inside scoop from the two-time Biletnikoff Award winner later today.

He'll be chatting with fans on ESPN.com at 2 p.m. ET.

Enjoy it, but don't use up too much of your chatting energy.

I'll be chatting later today at 3 p.m.

This is real. Beware if you produce nightmares easily.

• The Big 12 may have its new commissioner in place by spring meetings at the end of April, reports Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News.
• As each day goes by, it becomes clearer how big a mess Charlie Weis inherited at KU, writes Tom Keegan of the Lawrence Journal-World.
• Kansas is naming a few streets on campus after legendary coach Don Fambrough, who recently passed away.
• Look for a four-team playoff to take shape this week at the BCS meetings, writes Matt Hayes of Sporting News.
• Kansas removed two players from the roster after an incident at a local bar.
• Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman asks: What if Landry Jones had gone pro?
• WVU coach Dana Holgorsen talks about the plans for OC Shannon Dawson, who'll open up the offense soon, writes Mike Casazza of the Charleston Daily Mail.
• Oklahoma receiver Ryan Broyles worked through his injury, and it may pay off soon, writes Mike Baldwin of The Oklahoman.
• RG3 and Andrew Luck will be the first two picks in the NFL draft on Thursday night, but they were almost college teammates.
• How will West Virginia handle the Big 12 transition?
• Coach Bill Snyder weighed in on the kickoff rule changes for 2012.
• Remember Oklahoma transfer Brandon Williams? Sounds like he's tearing it up at A&M this spring.

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. -- Texas A&M has left the Big 12, but it hasn't left Texas.

Aggies will still work alongside Longhorns from Monday to Friday year round, even though their fall Saturday opponents will be completely different.

Leaving behind the Big 12 completely won't be easy. The Aggies will still be paying attention, if only tangentially.

Nebraska, though? The move to the Big Ten was a little bit simpler for the Huskers, and for West Virginia, the same could be true of the move to the Big 12 from the Big East.

"I’ve always used Nebraska as a good comparison or analogy for us," West Virginia athletic director Oliver Luck told ESPN.com. "Nebraska and West Virginia are in what I would call a special category. I don’t think there’s a state where the flagship means as much to the state as it does in both Nebraska and West Virginia."

Luck is right about that one. Texas, of course, has plenty of schools, including Texas. Obviously, Texas doesn't have the same relationship to its state as West Virginia.

"Texas is just a different state," Luck said. "We’re probably much more akin to Nebraska."

The comparison is pretty simple. One state. One team. One fan base ready for a new beginning for its favorite program.

Luck isn't exactly shying away from offending the state's Marshall fans, but Marshall isn't exactly racking up BCS wins like West Virginia has this decade.

"There’s no pro teams in the state, there’s no major metropolitan markets. Omaha’s probably bigger than Charleston, but not by much," Luck said. "Our experience, and I think our fans’ experience in terms of adapting to a new league and a new conference is a lot more like Nebraska than it is like A&M."

There's no replacing Nebraska's five national titles and three Heisman winners, of course, but the sentiment remains.

Excitement is at an all-time high for West Virginia. Ticket sales are through the roof and a report in the Charleston Daily Mail this week stated donations were up to $4.9 million compared with $3.5 million this time last year.

"I spent a good bit of time the past couple months in Charleston, the state capital, so you have the legislature in session, and people were generally excited. There’s a sense that this is a very good opportunity for us," Luck said. "A very challenging opportunity (laughs), because of the pedigree of the Big 12, but it was a nice opportunity for us to play, quite honestly, at a little bit of a different level. That includes almost all the sports, if you think about it."

The Big 12 still hasn't officially welcomed TCU and West Virginia.

That day will arrive on July 1 later this year. Until then (and even after), there will be plenty of discussion on what the Big 12 should do.

Few Big 12 administrators have endorsed either option publicly, but West Virginia AD Oliver Luck made his thoughts clear in a recent interview with ESPN.com.

"My recommendation would be to look long and hard at moving up, whether it’s to 11 or 12, particularly when you look at how big the SEC is, how big the ACC is going to be, the number that the Big Ten and the Pac-12 are at," Luck said. "I think it would be wise to take a long hard look at that because there is some strength in numbers."

The big question for the Big 12, though? Will new members bring in enough revenue to warrant inclusion? Selling expansion to the league's 10 members won't go over all that well if the league can't prove that the annual conference revenue paychecks won't get significant cuts.

So, what do you think the best option is? Vote in our poll.